Raul Orlando Torres Cubides, also known as “Jose Jota,” has been sentenced to 178 months in federal prison for running a years-long international cocaine smuggling conspiracy that moved massive amounts of narcotics into the U.S. from Colombia and other nations.
U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced the sentencing, which also includes five years of supervised release. Cubides, 57, had previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas to a single count of conspiracy to import five kilograms or more of cocaine.
From 2016 through January 2020, Cubides led a major drug trafficking operation that moved hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from Colombia, Venezuela, and the Dominican Republic into the United States. He admitted to playing a managerial role in the organization, which included more than five co-conspirators.
The case was part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) program, a coordinated federal effort to dismantle high-level criminal enterprises through intelligence-based investigations.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) led the investigation, with support from its teams in Colombia, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, U.S. Marshals Service, and Colombian law enforcement also played key roles.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Farhana C. Melo of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
